Oil, gas, and sand separator



Sept. 22, 1925. I 1,554,835

J. H. BARRETT 011., GAS, AND sum SEPARATOR Filed Jan. ,1924 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 IN V ENTOR. TL BCKYYQ, 000 G 00 000 0 oo 000 e 00 p I u I 000 0 00 000 o o o I'I'TOANEY.

Sept. 22 1925.

J. H. BARRETT on, GAS, AND smn ssmm'roa Filod Jan. 1924 2 Sheets-Shea '2 I INVENTOR.

J. H fiarr'e/fi,

ATT.

Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

" STES OIL, ens, AND sann snrmaaroa. I

Application filed January 22, 1924. Serial No. 687,818.

To all whom it'mag concern: a

Be itknown that I, JAMES H. Bannnrr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Be gs, in the county of Okmulgee and State of klahoma,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil, Gas, and Sand Separators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the pumping apparatus of deep wells, more particularly of oil Wells, and has for one of its objects to provide a device of this character wherein provision is made for automatically separating sand, gas and the like from the oil, at the bottom of the well, or substantially at or near the point where the oil and its constituents enters the conductors or pum shell or barrel, and thus preventing such 'oreign matter from passing withthe oil into the working barrel of the pump.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character, whereby the sand and like relatively heavy particles are caused to settle in a shell or casing, and the lighter or volatile gas caused to pass back into the well, leaving the separated oil only to pass to the working barrel of the pump and thence to the storage tanks or other receptacles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character, which may be installed without material structural til) change in pump devices of various makes. With these and other objects in view the 1nvent1on consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and de-. scribed and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the improved device. a

Figure 2 is a vertical section enlarged and foreshortened, of the parts shown in Fig- Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4: is a transverse section on the line 4-4: of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3, illustrating a slight modification in the construction.

In the ordinary production and operation for oil, the oil, gas, water and sand reaches the surface of the ground comingled and requires treatment to separate these foreign mgredients from the oil to render the latter marketable. To eliminate sand, water, and to other foreign matter it is necessary to subject the oil to treatment in the storage tank and several difl'erent processes are usually employed, all of which are expensive and require time and labor. The mixlng of this d5 of oil wells what is known as a worklng bar- 715 rel is used by which the oil, gas, water and sand are forced up through'a series of valves and reach the surface thoroughly comingled. The gas escapes at the surface of the ground,

and the sand, water and oil, thoroughly mixed, go into a tank where they are treated to eliminate the sand and water. Une method employed is to allow the oil to stand in the tank and settle, but this causes a great loss byshrinkage or evaporation. The obw ject of the present invention is to eliminate the cutting of the oil in its course through the valves to the surface by separating the. gas, sand, and the like from the oil while at the bottom of the well; and save the gas for commercial purposes.

With the ordinary arrangement the pressure of the gas forces the comingled matter through the standing valve cage and other valves and causes the oil to be thoroughly 9 mixed with water, sand and gas, causing what is known as bad settlement The improved device comprises a shell or casing 10 connected by a collar 11 to a reducing coupling 12' and with a plate or diaphragm 13-between the confronting ends of the members 10 and 12, the diaphragm forming the bottom of the member10.

The perforated intake 14 is connected to the reduced end of the coupling 12 by a collar 15..

At its upper end the shell 10 is converged as shown at 16 and thence extended upwardly as at 17 with-the upper end of the reduced portion 17 closed as at 18 except for a central threaded aperture 19.

The working barrel for the pump valve is represented at 20, with the valve cage 21 and valve 22 located therein. The barrel 20 is connected to the reduced portion 1'1 of the no ity of threaded apertures in each of which a conductor tube 24 is mounted and communicating with coupling 12 and intake 14. The tubes 24 extend into the shell 10, and at their upper ends are provided respectively with-upwardly opening valves 25, each enclosed in a cage 26. The seats for the valves 26 are referably in the form of an annular plate 2?, as shown in Figure 2.

Supported inv the threaded aperture 19 in the member 18 is a conductor tube 28 with its lower end below the lines of the valves 25.

Secured in the top ortion 16 of the shell 10 are a plurality 0 short tubes 29 each having an u wardly opening valve 30 at the upper end. caring over each of the shorter tubes 29 is a larger and longer tube 31 each having an upwardly opening valve 32 at the upper end.

The tubes 29 and 31 may each be provided with a (plurality of the valves .30 and 32 if require The tubes 29 and 31 may be attached to the portion 16 of the shell in any suitable manner, preferably by electric welding, or the like.

The walls of the well are indicated conventionally at 33. By means of the structure herein disclosed, the oil, gas, sand and water enter the separator from the oil sand through the intake 14, thence through the tubes 24 forcing the valves 25 up and passing into the shell 10. The gas being the lightest separates from thesand and oil and passes out through the tubes 31 back into well. The sand being heavier than the gas and oil sinks to the bottom while the water being heavier than the oil settles above the sand and the oil rises above the water. The oil when pumped out of the well enters the tube 28 and passes on up through the valve 21 into the working'barrel 20 to the surface of the ground.

In the improved device, the oil passes through two standing ball cages 26 and 21 very freely, and with less agitation than through one standing ball cage onl as in the ordinary construction owing to t e fact that the pressure in the separator reduces the agitation in its passage through the standing valve cages 26; and as the gas oil, water and sand mixture is permitted to stand in the separator, each seeks its level according to its gravity, sandat the bottom, intermediately water and the oil and gas, at the top, and since the gas which causes the cutting of the oil goes out through the tubes 31 there is very little cutting of the oil in its passage to the surface of the well. The

valves 32 prevents the passage of oil into gas escape pipes 31 which would close valve 30 and thus increase the pressure in the separator.

A great advantage is gained by eliminating the sand as it is caused to settle in the bottom of the shell thereby obviating any The preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the. drawings and set forth in the specification, but it will be understood that modifications within the scope of the claimed invention may be made in the construction without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any ofits advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In an apparatus of the class described, a receiving shell having an intake at one end, a plurality of conductor tubes within the shell and communicating with the intake, each of said conductor tubes having an upwardly opening valve at the discharge end, valved gas escape outlets leading from the shell and having valves opening externally of the shell, and a discharge tube within said shell with its intake below the line of the valves of the conductor tubes element.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a receiving shell having an intake at one end and a transverse diaphragm intermediate the ends of the shell, a plurality of conductor tubes connected into the diaphragm and communicating with the intake, each of said conductor tubes having an upwardly opening valve at the discharge end, valved gas escape outlets leading from the shell and having valves externally of the shell, and a discharge tube within said shell with its intake below the line of the valves of the conductor tubes and constituting the intake of a pumping. element.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a receiving shell having an intake at one end, a plurality of conductor tubes within the shell and communicating with the intake, each of said conductor tubes having an upwardly opening valve at its discharge end, relatively short valved gas escape outlets leading from the shell and having valves opening externally of the shell, a relatively long tubular receiver enclosing each of said shorter gas escape outlets and with outwardlyopening valves at the outer mg valves to discharge the gas out from the suction pipe, and means surroundin the tube to pass up to the casing head. suction pipe to provide ,for upflow of lquid 5. A gas eliminator for deep well pumps, in the tube and downflow around the pipe so 5 including a. gas tapping head, a pump suethat gas in the ascending oil will continue tion pipe suspended in the head and leading p to the trap. to the pump barrel from the head, means in In testimony whereof, I mix my slgnatum the head to discharge trapped gas separately from the pump, a supply tube extending JAIMES H. BARRETT.

receive gas rising around the pipe'and havdown from the head and surrounding the 10 

